My Top 4 Value FS eMTB

Henstelfs said:
Which one is the hands down best bike? Which is the best value when price is considered? I'm in Canada

$3,450 USD https://lunacycle.com/x1-enduro-ebike/

$4,699 CAD https://www.biktrix.ca/pages/juggernaut-ultra-fs-details

$2,999 USD https://shop.m2sbikes.com/collectio...2s-bikes-dual-sport-mid-drive-full-suspension

$2,699 USD http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...ikes-hal-e29-electric-mountain-bikes-29er.htm
Click to expand...

Gotta go with BD Moto Shimano Mid-drive for the win on value. ;)

1588391625133.png
 
Last edited:
Luna X1: Of the choices, best overall and best value, assuming you're looking for a capable eMTB to ride trails
Biktrix: Most likely to look more attractive after a few beers
M2S: Most likely to be pumped by electrek
BD: Most likely to be mentioned or recommended by FlatSix911 😅
 
Here's more rationale why (of the choices you provided) the X1 would be my choice. I only compared to the BD offering. I didn't bother to compare to the M2S as it's an outdated Chinese FS frame with long chainstay posing as an eMTB. For $3K you can do much better. The biktrix is more of a beast, not really a nimble trail bike and not comparable to the X1 or BD offering.

X1: $3600 shipped, Bafang M600, 500W/1000W peak, 120nm torque, 650wh battery, 200/160mm travel, CF frame, 4 piston hydraulic brakes
BD: $2700 shipped, Shimano E6100, 250W/500W peak, 60nm torque, 397wh battery, 130/120mm travel, aluminum frame, hydraulic brakes

For the extra $900 you just get more bang for your buck. Would you want an ebike with 397wh battery? I would look at other offerings for that reason alone. The BD does win out in a few areas. It has a phone app and I suspect the torque sensing is more refined. Also, with the M600 you'll want the silent gear. You can install later if you are mechanically inclined, so add $100 to the cost difference. I still think the X1 wins hands down if you can afford it.
 
tomdav said:
X1: $3600 shipped, Bafang M600, 500W/1000W peak, 120nm torque, 650wh battery, 200/160mm travel, CF frame, 4 piston hydraulic brakes
BD: $2700 shipped, Shimano E6100, 250W/500W peak, 60nm torque, 397wh battery, 130/120mm travel, aluminum frame, hydraulic brakes

For the extra $900 you just get more bang for your buck. Would you want an ebike with 397wh battery?
Click to expand...
Well, it also depends on whether you're looking for range versus raw power. If this is going to be ridden as a mountain bike all the time, I'd agree that the Luna looks like more fun.

If the bike is going to be multi-purpose, and the eMTB aspect is going to be pretty light, the Shimano should get you twice the range as the Bafang, even with that 400wh battery.

For example, the X1 is rated at 30-50 miles, which seems accurate given its specs.

The BD would probably get you close to 100 miles on that 397wh battery.

EDIT TO ADD: I should have added that the E7000/8000 are better choices than the E6100 if you want to do eMTB riding.
 
Thanks for you’re great comparisons. Y’all are always so helpful here.
I’m leaning towards the Luna with it’s great specs. 398wh isn’t enough. I also tried out a 250w engine yesterday and that wasn’t enough. If I go with the Luna route I’d probably start riding in the mountain bike parks again because you say it’s nimble. If I go with the Bixtrix I’d be doing more trekking with beers up the mountain roads haha. I’ve read about the Nylon gears and they seem like a good option if I find the motor too loud.

I feel like one of those guys that wants to own 5 different types of bikes for every occasion.
 
Henstelfs said:
... I feel like one of those guys that wants to own 5 different types of bikes for every occasion.
Click to expand...
👍
Welcome to the club! One can start with the best intentions of purchasing one "do it all" bike, but then anyone like me ends up with a fleet of bikes in the garage. And then after I decided to add the 'specific use' bikes I thought 'but what similar bike will my wife be able to ride with me when I'm riding this one?' So things start to get even more exponential.;)

We're very fortunate that we have so many great e-bikes to choose from, and there are deals to be had! And now I have extras for use by friends and family when they visit.
 
TMH said:
‘but what similar bike will my wife be able to ride with me when I'm riding this one?'
Click to expand...

Haha oh jeez. I really want to ride with my friends but they don’t have e bikes yet. I think I’ll have to install a swap-able front drive motor on their MTBs! That is until I’m a ballin’ philanthropist with a 50 bike garage.
 
antboy said:
Well, it also depends on whether you're looking for range versus raw power. If this is going to be ridden as a mountain bike all the time, I'd agree that the Luna looks like more fun.

If the bike is going to be multi-purpose, and the eMTB aspect is going to be pretty light, the Shimano should get you twice the range as the Bafang, even with that 400wh battery.

For example, the X1 is rated at 30-50 miles, which seems accurate given its specs.

The BD would probably get you close to 100 miles on that 397wh battery.

EDIT TO ADD: I should have added that the E7000/8000 are better choices than the E6100 if you want to do eMTB riding.
Click to expand...

That’s an interesting point about the range. So many calculations to consider. 100 miles on a small battery is surprising. Your right about the E6100 I’m gonna want a stronger motor http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...ebikes-hal-eboost-electric-mountain-bikes.htm
 
Henstelfs said:
That’s an interesting point about the range. So many calculations to consider. 100 miles on a small battery is surprising.
Your right about the E6100 I’m gonna want a stronger motor http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...ebikes-hal-eboost-electric-mountain-bikes.htm
Click to expand...

Take a look at the BD Team if you want E8000 power & torque along with a 504Wh larger integrated battery.


1588438055771.png
 
Henstelfs said:
That’s an interesting point about the range. So many calculations to consider. 100 miles on a small battery is surprising. Your right about the E6100 I’m gonna want a stronger motor http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...ebikes-hal-eboost-electric-mountain-bikes.htm
Click to expand...

The shimano motor is not going to get you 100 miles on a 397wh battery or twice the range of the M600, LMAO. Luna may be posting more honest specs regarding range, it is not comparable to other manufacturer claims. The X1 might be slightly heavier and the tires might have a little more rolling resistance, but ignoring those differences the the M600 motor would have to be 60% as efficient as the Shimano. I call BS. Range will vary with how much power you use. True, you can't use as much power with a 500W peak motor. But nothing is forcing you to use more on the X1.

As far as what bike to get for what purpose, do not get the X1 if you want a fast bike for city use. It is geared for trails. You can swap out the front chain ring to go faster but some users report the motor cuts out at 25mph (still faster than most class 1 but not class 3).
 
Last edited:
BTW, you seem to be looking at bikes with the M600 motor. If you just want something with more power than 250W nominal / 500W peak euro-spec motor you might want to check out the Voltbike offering. Last year it was a Bafang Max motor but this year they upgraded to a M600. It's more like the M2S offering with Chinese FS frame and budget components, not a legit eMTB, but would be fine for more general use and the price is lower. I still think if you have the money the X1 is a better value, but if cost is a concern the Voltbike might get you the extra power you want. The downside with the M600 is that it's pretty loud (unless add the luna silent gear later), no app, and you can't program it.

www.voltbike.com

VoltBike Enduro - Full-Suspension Mid-Drive Ebike

Electric full suspension bike with mid-drive motor Bafang M600.
www.voltbike.com www.voltbike.com

You might want to ask voltbiike if it comes restricted to 20 mph for Canada. Again, with the lack of app and/or programming, it's problematic to program it faster if it comes restricted to 20mph, the M600 is locked down pretty good.
 
Thanks @tomdav for clearing that up. If the X1 is not a class three that’s some points off. I need a class 3 or “class 4.” After watching this video I’m. not sure I would even go for the Shimano anymore.
 
Henstelfs said:
Thanks @tomdav for clearing that up. If the X1 is not a class three that’s some points off. I need a class 3 or “class 4.” After watching this video I’m. not sure I would even go for the Shimano anymore.
Click to expand...
If you want to go more than class 3 speeds on a mountain trail, you have a death wish...😱
 
@tomdav I just phoned Voltbike. The lady said it was her first day so she checked with someone. She said the top speed can be changed in the LCD display. Not sure if that means above 500w? The motor seems pretty common, so if I wanted to, couldn't I get a third party controller? The price point is hard to beat, and Vancouver is down the road from me.

I found this in the manual on their website. Bluetooth connection:① This display has Bluetooth module inte-grated and connectable to BAFANG’s own smart phone application “BAFANG GO”. In addition, the SDK is open for customer to develop APP individually.
 
Last edited:
That's not a good sign that they don't know their bikes. Then again, it is a new motor for them. You cannot adjust M600 speed in the display. It is information only, at least that's how the X1 was (I owned it briefly, but returned it due to the noise as there was no quiet gear option back then). Maybe she meant that if you get a different display you can unlock higher speeds? I noticed FLX sells a specific M600 display depending on the class rating. There is no third party controller yet for the M600, only for the Bafang Ultra (check out Watt Wagons, they have some amazing bikes including a FS trail monster if price is no concern). They can also make a custom FS titanium frame bike.

If you just want to zoom up logging roads I think the X1's 160mm FS travel might be overkill for that and a cheaper bike would suffice. That said I think you may need more battery if you plan to let the motor do most of the work up logging roads. Last year I rode up a logging road with a buddy. He had a FLX Blade which has a Bafang Ultra motor and 840wh battery similar to the Biktrix. I was riding my Volton El Legs Express with Bafang BBS01 (350W nomial) with 350wh battery. He zoomed up the hill in full assist barely breaking a sweat. I put mine in low gear and pedaled slowly up the hill just using the assist I needed but no more. At the top he mentioned his battery was almost dead, same as mine. You sound more like my buddy.
 
Yeah the phone call didn’t bring confidence. Something like Watt Wagon would be great but it’s just a bit out of my budget. Maybe I need to save up for longer so I can afford one. However the FS Watt Wagon Travalanche has a 728Wh battery. With a 1000w or 3000w motor wouldn’t that be drained quick too? I guess I need to decide on power or range. I think I’ll have to carry an extra 1000w battery with me.
 
In theory a 750Wh battery can feed 750W of power for 1 hour (not that you'd want to stress your battery that hard or drain it to zero). If you went with a M600 and a spare ~700Wh battery you'd probably have some decent range for logging roads. The M600 isn't powerful enough to take you up hills on throttle alone (you'll be helping it along). With a Bafang Ultra you might be able to just throttle it. How much battery would that consume, I can't say. That's not what I would buy an ebike for. I don't need 3000W peak power but I still pre-ordered the Watt Wagon superbike (it was too good to pass up with founder benefits, lol). I'll probably never use more than 750W nominal (1500W peak should be plenty) but there are other benefits to the aftermarket controller (smoother torque sensing and power delivery, as well as efficiency gains). You don't need to spend a lot to get a FS with Bafang Ultra. I ended up ordering a Frey CC which cost me $3K + shipping. Should arrive Tuesday. Only took 4 months to get here. It's true, you can't just have 1 ebike.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BMWzenRider
Shopping for a new Full-Suspension Step-Thru E-Bike w/Throttle -- Best Brand/Model?
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
tgianco
tgianco
N
Off-road hills for large rider < $2,000
Replies
9
Views
2K
gpseadog
gpseadog
lightrider
Best eMTBs Between $2k-$4k?
Replies
5
Views
2K
Catalyzt
Catalyzt
W
1344Wh fat tire bike Frey EX-FAT is coming with a promo price for a month, saving up to 1700 USD!
Replies
3
Views
1K
Explorer-1
E
Taylor57
Bikes Direct Deals
Replies
0
Views
948
Taylor57
Taylor57
Back